Highway joint alignment device



Dec. 10, 1940. R. E. MITCHELL HIGHWAY 4JOINT ALIGNMENTDEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1936 n 3 Sheets-Sheet l nu Q NTQ'R Mikhail ATTORN EYS Dec. 10, 194. R. E. MITCHELL. 2,224,194

HIGHWAY JOINT ALIGNMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1936 5 ShaetS-Sheet 2 t' lNvENroR Dec. l0, i940. R, E. MITCHELL 2,224,194

' HIGHWAY JOINT ALIGNMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 193e s sheets-'sheet 5 6 n I /ll//l/l llll.; l

a? 'da "/9 ha" A INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFl-lcE 2,224,194' HIGHWAY JOINT ALIGNMEN'I DEVICE Roberta. Mitchell, seattle, Wash.

Application February 28, 1936, Serial No.l 66,276

12 Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of concrete road making equipment and more particularly to a highway joint alignment device.

'I'his present application is` an improvement over my United States Patent No. 2,031,901, issued Feb. 25, 1936, and illustrates and describes a device which is improved so as to more satisfactorily provide a true alignment for dowel pins, dowel pin tubes and expansion joint fillers.

This present device provides all the advantages of my former device and further provides a means which can be adjusted accurately to the curvatureor crown of the road which is being constructed. Further means are provided to assure that each dowel securing member will grip and apply a uniform tension to the various dowel pins the device is securing in position.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 illustrates my device as it appears in position when supporting the joint element in a crown highway as it is bowed prior to the pouring of the highway.

Figure 2 is a typical cross-sectional view through one of the supported dowels, taken through the extension bar of my device.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the means for adjusting the dowel securing members.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of an alignment device similar to Figure l but enlarged and with certain parts being broken to better illustrate the adjusting means for the dowel securing members.l I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the operating means controlling the dowel securing hooks and for bowing the device.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the means employed for setting the expansion strip material to a predetermined depth.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional similar to Figure 2 and 6, but showing my device as employed in the so-called semi-joint where therexpansion strip material does not serve to provide a defilnite separation of the two abutting slabs, but merely provides a point of expected fracture.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, I0 l designates the main supporting frame of my device. This, I prefer to make in the form of an angle having the upper ilat plate ll and the l downwardly extending leg portion Yl2. I provide,

(Cl. Sli-51) l l as reasonable security against tipping, tread members I4 ony each end of frame Hl.` These should have considerable extent transversely of frame IIJ so that as they rest upon the curb timbers i5 they will easily overcome any tendency of the device to tip or cant. Suitable handles as l1 are provided for more convenient handling of the device.

. To gain maximum rigidity for the device and to provide against displacement of the joint material, I provide that leg I2 `will extend well down into the pavement as it is bored and further provide that the same be notched as at I8 to provide clearance for the dowel pins 2U. This y construction is similar to my co-pending application referred to.

Secured to frame l0 is, preferablyga second angle bar 22. This bar serves a dual purpose. It assists in the alignment of the expansion strip material V23 and also provides a convenient support for the plurality of dowel bar securing hooks 24. Now, it has been found that unless some convenient adjusting means is provided it is difficult to have hooks 24 so positioned that they will securely engage each of the dowels 20 or dowel tubes 26 and seat them snugly against alignment bars 21. This is particularly true when the device is curved after the showing of Figure 1 or 4.

A convenient adjusting means is provided by eccentric bearing 28 which is mounted as will be best shown in Figures 2 and 6 on bolt 29 secured to bar 22. The bearing 28 has formed as a part of it a pointed indicator member 30 which assists in the movement of the eccentric bearing 28 and also indicates `its setting. After its adjustment has been secured the nut on bolt 29 is tightened securely, pressing the face of the eccentric 28 against bar 22 where it is fixedly held against rotation. 40 All the various hooi:4 members 24 are preferably operated by single control bar 32, `the connecting means being pins 3|. Pins 3| should be a loose fit within holes 33 in hook members 24. Bar 32 should be of light material so that it may be sprung up or down to take care of the slight individual adjustment of hooks 24. Bar 32 is operated by the means shown in Figures 4 and 5 wherein a relatively short lever 35 is pivotally lmounted at 36. One end, of lever 35 is operatively connected to control bar 32 andto the opposite end is secured yoke 38. Yoke 38 is connected. by means of the threaded, adjustable rod 40, to the operating lever 42. Lever 42 is pivotally supported to frame I 0 by a raised lug `carrylef ing the pivot pin 43. The end of lever 42 is formed at 45 so that a section of pipe may be set over the same for easy handling of the operatingmeans. For convenient operation the proportions generally shown in Figure 4 should be observed particularly in the heights of pivot pin 45 and pin 43, so that a toggle action will be provided wherein lever 42 is moved to the point where pin 4l goes down past the line joining points 43 and 4t so as to provide a toggle lock.

Inasmuch as bar 32 is disposed well below the certain upper surface Il of frame I0, pr-essure exerted on bar 32 will bend frame I Il after the showing of Figures 1 and 4. The amount of this curvature is determined naturally by the pressure applied and this can be adjusted by means oi the threaded rod 40 and its lock nut 50. It naturally follows that, by decreasing the distance between pivots 46 and 41 greater pressure will be exerted on bar 32 and consequently greater curvature provided in the entire device.

In setting `the expansion joint material 23 in a joint it must be remembered that this material is usually of a fibrous material, usually impregnated with that tar like material, so that as the temperature increases, the same can be compressed as the abutting slabs of concrete expand. The material, however, has little resistance to wearand is of necessity placed some- Y what below the wearing surface of the road. To

accomplish this vwith certainty I provide a channel 52 which engages the top surface of expansion joint material 23 and is guided between members l2 and the downwardly extending leg of angle 22. Its downward position is fixed ad'- justable by the dat headed bolts 53 which are screwed into plate 55 and secured in that adjustment by lock nut 55.

Where dummy or semi-joints are used it is customary to employ a shallow strip of suitable material usually of the same general charac-ter as the expansion strip and it is set substantially as shown; by dotted lines, in Figure '7 at 58. The same means are' employed to assure its alignment and depth of seating, as is used for the expansion joint itself.l

It is believed it will be apparent that where dowel tubes as 26 are used my hooks 24 can by adjustment of the eccentric bearings 28 be made to hold tubes just as securely as the dowels themselves. This adjustment can be quickly effected inthe field without the necessity of additional placement members. Varying widths of pavement can be accorrnnodated, as in my former case, bytheV extension frame 60 which is secured to frame Il? by a plurality of loops 6i and their co-acting key wedges 63. y 'The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrativev and thatl such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.v

I claim:

l. The combination with a supporting bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar-adapted to receivedowel-pins, movable retaining means eccentrically mounted on the bar for engagement with the dowel-pins tohold thev latter in engagement with the centering members, a flat bar connecting said retaining means, avlever fulcrumed on said supporting bar and pivoted tosaid flatubar, means for moving saidv i lever to simultaneously, alternately engage or release said retaining means, and means for locking said retaining means lin engagmg position. 2. The combination with a main angle bar having a lateral depending, notched flange, and.

lfor simultaneously releasing the retaining means.

3. The combination with a main supporting angle bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive dowelpins, movable retaining means mounted on the bar for engagement with the dowel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the centering members, meansfor vertically adjusting said retaining members, and means for simultaneously releasing said retaining means.

4. The combination with a main supporting angleqbar, of an auxiliary angle bar rigid with saidsupporting bar, a series .of centering members mounted on said auxiliary bar adapted to receive dowel-pins, movable retaining means mounted on the auxiliary bar for engagement with the dowel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the centering members, means for vertically adjusting said retaining means, and means .for simultaneously releasing said retaining means.

5. The' combination with a main supporting bar, of a seriesof centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive. dowel-p-ins, movable retaining members mounted on the bar for engagement with the vdovvel-pins to hold the la+` ter in engagement with the centering members, a iiat bar connecting said retaining means, a lever fulcrumed on said supporting bar, means for moving said at bar to simultaneously release said retaining means, and means for vertically adjusting said retaining means.

6. The combination with a main supporting bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to vreceive dowel-pins, movable retaining means mounted on the bar for engagement with the dowel-pins for holding the latter in engagement with they centering members, means for vertically adjusting saidretai-ning means, a iiat bar connecting said retaining means, a lever fulcrumed on said main bar and pivoted to said flat bar, means for moving said lever to simultaneously, alternately engage or release said retaining means, and means for locking said retaining means in engaging position.

7. The combination with a supporting bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive dowel-pins, movable retaining means mounted on the bar for engagement with the dowel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the centering members, and means for vertically adjusting said retaining means, Va ilat bar connecting said retaining means, a lever fulcrumed I,on said supporting bar and pivoted to said flat bar, means for moving said lever to simultaneously, alternately engage or release said retaining means, and meansV for locking said Aretaining means inV engaging position. y l

3,"1he combination with a main angle bar having la lateral, depending, notched flange, and means for supporting theends of the bar, of a series of detachable, transversely arranged, spaced, centering arms, and means for securing the arms to the bar, downwardly-extending, notched-flanges on the: arms aligned with the notched flanges movable retaining meansy eccentrically mounted on the bar for detachable engagement with doWel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the notched-flanges of the arms, and means for simultaneously releasing said retaining means.

9. The combination with a main supporting angle bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive dewelpins, movable retaining meanseccentrically mounted on the bar for engagement with the doWel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the centering members, and means for simultaneously releasing said retaining means.

l0. The combination with a main supporting angle bar, of an auxiliary angle bar rigid with said supporting bar, a series of centering members mounted on said auxiliary'bar adapted to receive dowel-pins, movable retaining means eccentrically mounted on the auxiliary bar for engagement with the doWel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with the centering members, and means for simultaneously releasing the retaining means.

11. The combination with a main supporting bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive doWel-pins. movable retaining means eccentrically mounted on the bar for engagement with the doWel-pins to hold the latter in engagement With the centering members, a flat bar connecting said retaining means, a lever fulcrumed on said supporting bar and pivoted to said flat bar, and means for moving said flat bar to simultaneously release said retaining means.

12. The combination with a main supporting bar, of a series of centering members mounted on said bar adapted to receive dowel-pins, movable retaining member means eccentrically mounted on the bar for engagement with the dowel-pins to hold the latter in engagement with f 

